If doughnuts could have a downside, the people working at Dunkin' Donuts Northeast Distribution Center would cite two: operator fatigue and extended downtime.

This DC, in Bellingham, Mass., distributes more than 450,000 pieces per week on thousands of pallets—everything from employee uniforms to the flour, sugar and chocolate used to make the baked goods. Lift trucks are needed at nearly every stage of distribution to more than 2,300 stores. The fleet this DC once used was experiencing extended downtime giving way to poor productivity, and these vehicles were giving them enough trouble that they wanted to make a change.

The team tried a pre-production model of a new rider pallet truck (Yale, 800-233-9253, www.yale.com) with optional power-assist steering. An operator put the truck through its paces throughout the location, which includes a busy loading dock, dry warehouse, cooler and freezer/deep freezer area.

“The operator's feedback was extremely positive,” says Bob Hill, senior operations manager. “The truck provided operators with greater ease of use, less upper body stress during operation and better cornering in the warehouse – all advantages for our business.”

Operator response to the pallet truck was so positive that when it was put into full production, Hill ordered nine for his two facilities, replacing several electric sit-down rider lift trucks in the process.

Almost a year later, the trucks are an integral part of the Dunkin Donuts operation. Equipped with freezer packages, the trucks move throughout the entire warehouse without compromised performance.

“These trucks have been a success here, significantly reducing operator fatigue and without the mechanical issues other trucks have had,” Hill adds.